Sacrifice
by prongles
Summary: Lily Evans had always sacrificed herself. One-shot.


Lily Evans had always sacrificed herself for others.

* * *

At age eight, Lily Evans took the blame for when Petunia smashed their mother's favourite vase. She got yelled at for half an hour before getting sent to her room with no extra sweets after dinner.

She didn't mind though, she'd rather that Tuney was happy and not sad. She knew her mother would eventually forgive her but she was content with waiting.

* * *

At age twelve Lily Evans put her hand up when no one wanted to sit next to the strange Mary MacDonald. Mary never talked and often caused bursts of fire from not being able to properly control her magic just yet.

Lily didn't really want to sit with her but no one else in her class was going to so she put her hand up. Her professor was extremely happy with her.

Although, the joke was on the rest of their Herbology class. Lily putting her hand up had gained her a new best friend.

* * *

At age fourteen her friend Severus Snape threw a ball of parchment at Potter's head during Potions.

When he turned around angrily, Lily quickly said, "That was me, not him." He gave her an ugly scowl before chucking the parchment back at her, causing the teacher to scold him.

She'd told the teacher she provoked him and begrudgingly he gave the both of them a detention. Severus never owned up to it because that was what Lily _did_. She put herself in the firing line.

* * *

At age sixteen Death Eaters invaded Hogsmeade. One was sauntering to a few thirteen year olds who were huddled in a group with tears welling in their eyes.

Lily Evans ran and put herself between the Death Eater and the thirteen year olds. "Don't touch them! Don't you dare hurt them! You want to hurt me! _I'm_ the Mudblood, not them!" she said, her voice completely steady and her eyes stony.

The Death Eater lined the wand up to her heart but before he could mutter the spell, James Potter tackled him to the ground, punching him in the face.

"What are you, a _Muggle_?!" Lily shrieked, casting a spell to the Death Eater before he could do any serious damage to him.

"What are you, an _idiot_?!" he retorted angrily. "You could've died, Evans!"

"Better me than them!" she snapped, jerking her head to the thirteen year olds who were so scared that they were shaking. Lily knelt down with James and they both assured the third years that they were going to be okay and no one would hurt them anymore.

* * *

At age eighteen, Lily Potter was getting berated by her husband for putting herself in between strangers and Death Eaters, including Lord Voldemort.

"What do you expect me to do, James?!" she screeched at him. "Let all those people die and never let them see the light of day again?!"

"But what if _you_ died, Lily?!" he yelled right back. "You're the most important person in my life right now! My parents are dead, we haven't heard from Sirius in weeks which generally means that he's _dead_, Moony is always working secretly and I never see him and I only ever see Pete at Order meetings! Don't you _see_, Lily?! You're the only person in my life right now and I can't afford to lose you! I just can't!" His voice cracked and wobbled, and his hazel eyes became glassy.

Lily softened and walked closer to him, holding him in a tight hug. "I can't lose you, Lil," he said, his voice shaking.

She kissed the side of his head. "You're never going to lose me, James. I wouldn't throw myself in between those people if I didn't know I was going to survive. You know that."

He looked down at her with a flat stare. "Liar. Just stop doing it, please. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you all stretched out trying to protect those strangers and the whole of the Death Eaters – including _Voldemort_ who is coincidentally the most dangerous man on the Earth at the moment if you've forgotten – and he had his wand pointing at you. What would you have done if Dumbledore and the rest of us didn't turn up?"

She shrugged. "Voldemort is no match for me. Even when I die I'm going to be fighting him. He's not going to win," she said fiercely. "I'll die trying if I have to."

James looked annoyed that she was so willing to give up her life but then she said, "James, I'm doing this for the greater good. I will _not_ have our children growing up in a war. I'm not having it. I will finish this damn thing on my own if I have to but I don't want to. I want to finish it with you. There is no way in _hell_ am I ever leaving your side. And that's why we won't be dying because we're bloody brilliant at what we do. We don't die. We _survive_."

He kissed her gently and brushed her hair to the side. She pleaded, "James, just let me do my thing. If I want to sacrifice myself for someone. Let me. Because I'm not going to die for a long time."

His mouth quirked into a smile. "You're not dying while I'm alive, at least."

She laughed. "Damn right. I'm not going _anywhere_ while you're walking and talking and annoying me."

He let out a loud laugh before bending down to give her a kiss. "You better not."

"I would never dream of it," she said, gazing at him with a small smile.

"Promise?" he asked, his hands tapping an irregular beat on the side of her hip. He was scared. He was scared that she might die. He was scared that he might die and she'd try and give up. Lily never gave up.

She grinned. "Promise."

* * *

At age twenty one, Lily Potter threw herself between her son and the most dangerous wizard of all time. Only this time she wasn't calm. She was screaming and she had tears rolling down her face.

"_Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead—_"*

She had her back to Harry, hoping that this would protect her. Her hands reached out to either side of the cot, not letting that evil man _near_her son.

He brandished the wand towards her and for the first time, she flinched. James was dead – she knew it. And she needed to stay alive for Harry. And she wasn't going to.

Tears streamed down her face as she realised the promise she made James three years ago would be kept. But she was about to leave Harry. She put one hand behind her back and waggled her fingers so Harry would get one last touch from her. He gripped onto her finger and as soon as the words started to utter out of Voldemort's mouth, she let go of them, falling to the ground.

* * *

Lily Potter had always sacrificed herself for others.

* * *

* Quote taken from page 281 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [English/Australian version] by J. K. Rowling

Hope you all enjoyed! :)


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